Decision by Sotheby's to cancel sale of NYRA artwork, scheduled for today, under threat of lawsuit from N.Y. State Racing and Wagering Board continues spate of hard-luck news at Aqueduct. Sunday after last race, mutuel clerk was stabbed in buttocks on ramp to Big A subway station in incident stemming from personal feud; Wednesday after sixth race, Jose Hugo, 75, hotwalker for trainer Mike Hushion, suffered fatal heart attack at top of steps leading from paddock.

The oversight board is a peculiar group with Magna connections. I remember discussing this on the NYRA forum before some creepy extremists shut it down.

I'm not surprised they're after the art. When a hostile country (NYRA) is "liberated", the arts the first thing that gets packed up and shipped out. Remember the museum in Baghdad, and the report of the British submarine returning to port flying the skull and crossbones, the "jolly rodger."

"Blocking and tackling" were words oversight spokesman were quoted as saying as a description of the board's initial formation, a truly thuggish metaphor.

I read some news that Bruno has retired as a lobbyist connected to the board and now Pataki's involved according to some news reports.members of the NYRA forum described Bruno as practically running the state, so I guess he's getting out now to say his hands are clean.

Things smell bad. Expect weird news.

So, a clerk was stabbed in the butt. Some kinda warning, maybe? A big scandal blanketed the mutual department last year, yet lo and behold, Terry "somebody", big man in charge, was able to avoid trouble and even promoted to a better positon outside the organization, as I remember. Thanks you, Terry, for a job well-done.